Every Death Star Replica Should Have a Working Metal-Melting Superlaser

There’s probably a good reason—involving lawsuits and lawyers—why toymakers don’t include working superlasers on their Death Star playsets. But since Patrick Priebe doesn’t plan on selling his Death Star replica to the public, he had no qualms about including a terrifying 84-watt laser.

Priebe’s Death Star replica started life as a beachball covered with layers of fibreglass that was eventually finished off with aluminium panels glued to the outside. It certainly looks the part, but functionality was the bigger priority for this particular build.

The Death Star’s reflector—or superlaser focus lens as it’s often referred to—was surrounded with 14 six-watt blue lasers that could be painstakingly adjusted using four mounting screws on each one. Eventually Priebe was able to get all 14 beams to converge at a single spot, creating 84-watts of metal-melting fun.

With a total price tag of around $4,500 /£2,989 this isn’t exactly a cheap DIY project either. And while Priebe’s Death Star still won’t destroy a planet, he’s still going to need to be careful about where he points the business end. [YouTube via Gizmag]